Need For Speed Underground

GameCube, Need For Speed Underground (2003) game

I had no idea a 'Need For Speed' film, inspired by the long-running franchise was coming this year when I bought my first version of it on any system, it was purely a coincidence and a choice based on necessity: I'd got all the other worthwhile GameCube racing games, so now I was forced to buy a lesser, an EA, mass-produced, sleek and soulless one. That's how I've often seen EA games, anyway, (speaking historically, I have no idea how the company's developed since the 'Cube days), and so I didn't have expectations that this would get anywhere near the benchmark of realistic racing games on this system: 'Burnout 2.' I was right, this isn't a patch on that great game, but it is a good game, and one I enjoyed playing for quite a while thanks to the long-lasting 'Underground Mode' in which you take part in a variety of challenges in a (very) loose story mode, whether that's a point-to-point Sprint race, Circuits, Drag, or Drift. Those four categories cover it all, but there's also a little more depth to proceedings in that you have incentive to win, and win big, by the fact that the difficulty you choose (out of three), decides your winnings, and with this money you can upgrade your vehicle.

This is where we get to the 'shallow EA' style that I expected - it's in evidence in the way that you appear to have so much choice, and yet in reality you can only upgrade what the game has unlocked, so you're basically just given one choice when it boils down to it. Yes, you have a variety of manufacturers to choose from and you do have the option to change the individual colours on most parts of your car, as well as adding less useful visual modifications to give it its own identity. These do have some use actually, as they improve your style rating which gives you more money or improved performance, or something along those lines, I wasn't paying that much attention - the important stuff is in the car's performance upgrades. It would have made life simpler not to pretend there was choice, and just have the option of turning on each upgrade automatically when you win it, as you have to go through the menu manually to find the equipment you're now allowed to add to your car (even though it handily points out where to go with arrows!), I suppose to give you a feeling of empowerment. The upgrade system is fine, as are the 'story' elements, but they're only sideshows to the real reason you get a game like this: racing.

Control is responsive and with the excellent 'Cube controller in your hand you feel all the control you require. It rips along at a pleasing pace, so that's the 'Need' and the 'Speed' part of the title covered. It's just the 'Underground' part that isn't quite as impressive. The game is dripping with manufactured cool, as it tries to 'get down' and appeal to the 'yoof.' Fine if you like that music, but I had to turn it off as soon as the game loaded, and the 'cool' characters that occasionally showed up in cutscenes weren't 'all dat.' Fortunately, this all takes a backseat to the racing. The AI of your opponents is quite strong. I say that, although I found that to have a challenge I needed to select 'Hard' difficulty as anything less was too easy, though I like to think I'm pretty good at racing games. I chose that difficulty for pretty much every track, except for an occasional early one which I didn't enjoy, and wanted to get through quickly, such as the 'Drag' mode.

Out of the four types (or three if you include Circuits and Sprint together under the banner of straight 'Racing'), 'Drag' was my least favourite as it was the most basic (drive forward flicking left and right to avoid other motor vehicles, while hitting the top of your gear at just the right moment to get the best change-up, while also making the most of your Turbo boost, and keeping track of your three opponents!), almost like an old-fashioned 2D shoot-em'-up. They could either be won in seconds with a chance easy run-through, or take ages to master. Once I got used to this style of race I didn't mind it so much, but I could never shake the feeling it was more of a mini-game than a proper race mode. Strangely, the style I enjoyed most was 'Drift,' in which you slide round a curvy circuit trying to score as many points as possible by pulling off long or sharp drifts without touching the sides of the track of slowing down too much. This I always looked forward to, even though some were a challenge, but if this was a mini-game it was of the 'just one more go' variety, and something I would consider playing to get a new high score, not just to win and progress in 'Underground.'

The racing itself was straightforward, though with the setting of almost exclusively city streets (and always nighttime), I was somewhat put off by the visuals, which featured neon lights all over the shop and a lot of darkness (it would, being night!). The tracks just weren't varied enough, were too cluttered, and preferring daytime, naturalistic tracks in my racing games, this was something I had to grow accustomed to. But I did, over the pretty long time that I played. The longevity is definitely a plus point because it's a game you can play for a few minutes to try and win the current track, or, if you feel like putting in a couple of hours, you can do that too, as there are so many challenges to win (112, though it actually says 111 - you get a final one-on-one race at the end). After extended play into the game you do begin to see subtle differences in the tracks, and the clutter that initially tricked and irritated your eyes become recognisable landmarks so you know where you are and where you're going (as well as finding shortcuts that provide new tactics - do you go for the shortest route and risk crashing, or the longer and safer one?). As in most racing games, and certainly of the time, the breadth of tracks are increased sneakily by the use of reverse tracks, although the other artificial extension of variety by changing weather conditions, isn't really attempted, except for rain. I'd have liked to have seen snow-covered tracks or maybe a nice race at dawn to change things a bit, but I will say that the water reflections were impressive.

You do feel like you're racing the same track over and over, because you are, and when you realise that tracks are different routes through the same area, that's not so impressive, either. Adding to the neon ocular discomfort are the bright yellow stripes on the road which provide an uncomfortable irritant to the eyes, so much so that I would sometimes drive to left or right of them to avoid the strobe effect. But the test of a good racing game is in how much enjoyment you get out of it and how immersed you are in its environment. I would say this did a good job, and the feeling of elation at completing one of the trickier later challenges (one of the last Circuits is a seven-lap race in which you can't make any mistakes!), is as strong as any gaming accomplishment. There is some exhilaration, too, though perhaps not as strong a sense of speed in seeing sunlit country streaking past. You feel like the opponents are having a proper race with you, not following strict racing lines, but competing well, yet still occasionally having a useful crash that enables you to catch up - it's fun to use the rearview mirror to try and prevent them passing, a tactic especially useful on 'Drag' mode, though awareness of what's in front is just as important! I didn't try the multiplayer, but I would imagine you'd have to play someone who had experienced as much of the game as you in order to provide a fair contest.

It is a shame that you can't revisit any of the 'Underground' mode again, and are forced to start a new file, though perhaps you can recreate a favourite challenge in the 'Quick Race' mode, something I didn't really explore. Apart from the taste in style of nighttime racing, there were a few other things that took the game down a few notches - I already mentioned the lack of real choice in upgrading, and this loses a sense of saving up for the stuff you want, just being automatically unlocked and essentially making the currency valueless. As long as you get some money, and don't waste it on every different neon light variety, for example, you can always get the next upgrade, but it's too forced and you don't feel in control of the buying side of things. This adds to the lack of jeopardy in-race: you never lose anything, you can just have another go, and that applies to the 'Tournament' races, too, in which you can replay any race in a tournament as many times as you want, rather than having to race all the tracks and start again if you didn't do well enough. There should have been something on the line, whether that was your car, money, points or whatever, perhaps betting with your competitors would have upped the ante, anything to make a race essential to win. To begin with it also felt like races just end with no obvious goal point in place, but that's the nature of this supposed illegal street racing, it's just turn up, tune up and race.

With all this said, and despite it being a decade old EA game, I have to say I quite enjoyed it. There are little touches like getting your car photographed on un-lockable magazine covers, and if you really want some jeopardy, you can find it in the statistics section where it shows the percentage of wins you have compared to starts you made (a paltry 11% by the end of the game, for me!). The 'Cube didn't have a lot of variety when it came to car games, but this stands up there as a good alternative to 'Burnout 2,' 'Dakar 2,' 'Smuggler's Run' and other vehicle-based games. I would definitely consider getting more in the 'Need For Speed' series on the machine, and I believe there are a few. With this game lasting around six months, it was £2.48 well spent!

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